Isle of Morlea
About this nation Empress Arianrod discovered the rift in the Plane of Shadows that led to a lush island paradise. Not wanting to abandon the sweet fruits, cool waters and skin warming sunlight, she agrees to bring some of her people into this world in exchange for their devotion. Each citizen willingly sacrificed their own prana, or life force, unto her. In doing so, her knowledge and consciousness has been increased. This also affects her youthfulness. She rules the society and is revered as their Emperor Goddess. As she is rarely in the sunlight, her skin is the palest. All of the citizens, especially females, desire the same pale skin. '''Strengths:''' She is free spirited. Not prepared to bend to any one’s expectations of her. She reflects honestly on the cost of potential victories to determine if they will have been at the expense of her principals. '''Weaknesses:''' She is vindictive and unable to let go of the past. The Shyfts originate from the Plane of Shadows, a morphing world bleached of color. They are very pale with silver hair and jewel tone glowing eyes. Extended exposure to the sun in this new land does have a tanning effect, resulting in a blue/purplish tint to their skin. Women outnumber men, 6 out of 10. The society is largely nocturnal, with their days beginning in the late afternoon. Due to the stark contrast to their home, the island has an awakening effect on their senses. This has led to a bacchanalian/indulgence based culture, delighting in the carnal. They have a symbiotic relationship with the native kobolds of the land, the Klabautermann. The Shyfts do not govern the Klabautermann. They are allies, will trade goods and services and can often be found sailing together. If needed, they will also fight to defend one another. Shyfts consider their presence to be good luck. The Shyfts are generally patient and have a strong independent streak. Most are used to solving problems on their own. At times they are like terrible storms, fierce and destructive, but most often they present a tranquil appearance despite whatever emotions run underneath the surface. They can be proud and this pride often manifests itself in a fearlessness that is not common. Expecting females return to the Plane of Shadows to birth their children. The children are welcome to the island upon reaching adulthood if they are willing to offer a sacrifice to the Empress. The Klabautermann are a merry, industrious and diligent race, with an expert understanding of most watercraft and an unsurpassable musical talent. They can be playful and have a tendency to pull pranks. Their tribe’s leader is Kirrok. He meets with the Shyft Empress weekly. Since the kobolds have difficulty with being trusted by other races, the Shyft conduct trades on the kobolds behalf. As kobolds are not easily offended, they do not mind the overindulgent culture of the Shyft. As natives to the islands and due to their sense of direction, they are comfortable navigating the local seas. They are very capable of making elaborate traps. Kirrok tells tales to his tribe of his great and mighty dragon friend, Xan. Reassures them that when Xan is done fighting his mighty battles, that he will return to them. There is a statue of Xan in their courtyard. As it is the closest thing to knowing a dragon that these kobolds have, they frequently make offerings to Xan. Believing in reincarnation, the eggs and hatchling kobolds are watched by the elders, for potential future leader. A youth who hatches with the “jaw of a dragon” immediately becomes a prized member of the tribe. As Empress Arianrod established this society, she rules as the Emperor Goddess. The sacrifices of her people’s prana, has made her extremely intelligent. The small amount of anarchy is largely due to the kobolds, as their elders try to keep everything in line, as most kobolds try to take matters into their own hands. The economy is an equal mix of coinage and a capitalist society. Supply and demand move much of the society forward. Ones wealth is displayed by wearing small shells on a necklace. Wealth is highly desired and considered very sexy. These shells can be obtained by trading them for goods and services. The Sacrificial and God Emperor elements are closely tied to one another. In order to please their Goddess and for the good of their society, citizens will sacrifice some of their own life force, known as prana, directly to their goddess, increasing her own prana. This is a requirement to be apart of their society. By sacrificing their prana, they relinquish some of their will and mental prowess. This can impact different individuals in varying ways. Some may lose magical abilities, while others may have less will or general intelligence. Only a small sacrifice is required, as a minuet amount from many individuals is enough to grant the Goddess god like ability, knowledge and wisdom. The Shyft do not require a sacrifice of prana from the Klabautermann, however a portion of their resources must be sacrificed to the society as a whole. The Klabautermann also offer sacrifices to the dragon statue of Xan. The few and proud that draw pleasure from fighting may volunteer to join the military service, known as The Shadows. They do so in exchange for coins and the Goddess will grant them additional prana from herself. It is a highly sought after position due to the gift of prana from the Goddess. Therefore anyone that is remotely gifted towards military service will generally apply, making for stiff completion and a highly skilled force. They tend to fall in one of three categories; fighter, assassin/stealth and archer. They will occasionally fight along side the kobolds and will also commission elaborate traps from the kobolds to protect their shores. As they have yet to explore much of the surrounding area to their island, very little of their culture is based on piracy, however there are plans to venture further out to see what other pleasures exist beyond their seas. Currently, most of the Shyfts time is spent towards carnal pursuits; food, drink, games, sex and anything else that brings them pleasure. The ability to give and take prana is largely drawn from their Mental magic. This particular skill is possessed by very few, however others may be endowed with other mental magic abilities as well as the ability to summon. There is no family structure as offspring is birthed and raised in the Plane of Shadows. Therefore there is little need for long term relationships. Generally, most live alone or if with someone, as a friend. Being in a relationship, especially exclusively, is considered taboo. There are a few bad eggs however. Those found to do something that is displeasing to the society are dealt with. Those that enter the service of The Shadows are responsible for keeping the peace and to ensure that the society is working as is should. The additional prana they possess allows them the stronger will and fortitude that others may have lost. They ensure that debts are paid and jobs are completed. Anyone violating the law is brought before their courts for judgment. Generally evidence is required to pass judgment on an individual, and in some cases a witness account is acceptable. For grievous offenses, the Goddess will be present for the judgment. If the accused is found guilty, the accused is brought before the Goddess, who pulls all prana from them. The result is a feral creature, which is banished outside of the city or into the ocean. Making oneself presentable and desirable is very important; therefore they tend to be very clean. There is a good deal of the society that is very intelligent and they tend to make level headed decisions, if they aren’t busy with something else. Due to their limited exposure to other cultures, they are generally introverted towards outsiders. Also, the chasing of pleasure leaves little desire towards working. Details[[Category:Nations]]